Title

Author

Access Type

Open Access Dissertation

Date of Award

1-1-1999

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ed.D.

Department

Curriculum and Instruction

First Advisor

Jacqueline Tilles

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in conflict management styles and attitudes about violence that occur in ninth grade students who participated in a 14 week guidance unit on conflict management. The conflict management module used in this study is The Michigan Model for Managing Conflict and Preventing Violence Module based on the Kingian Philosophy of Nonviolence. A comparative analysis of attitudes about the use of violence to manage conflict and conflict handling styles of students before and after infusing the Conflict Management module into their regular classroom instruction was conducted. One group, the "treatment group," consisted of 50 students who received training in the Michigan Model Conflict Management Based on the Kingian Philosophy of Nonviolence Training. The second group the "control group" consisted of 50 students who did not receive training in this program. One of the key questions posed was does the conflict management style of the ninth grade students receiving a fourteen week guidance unit on the conflict management change as compared to ninth grade students receiving no guidance unit as measured by the '''Conflict Management Style Questionnaire"? Data indicated that the treatment group preferred resolving conflicts by compromising or collaborating as opposed to the control groups who favored either avoiding, force, or smoothing conflict management styles. The data indicated that attitudes of students in the treatment group changed toward the use of violence as a conflict handling strategy and they exhibited a more positive attitude toward nonviolent conflict management strategies as opposed to the control group. Conclusions were that all four hypothesizes were supported by the research data. Recommendations for institutions, designers, and further research are provided.

Recommended Citation

Wilson, Mary Green, "A conflict management module based on the Kingian principles of nonviolence: a strategy for reducing violence" (1999). Wayne State University Dissertations. 1272.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/1272